It can be a wise move to write a song for a movie and time that song’s release with the film’s release. Many artists have achieved some of their biggest hits by doing this, as if someone enjoys a movie and a song that was written for it, there’s every chance they’ll want to track it down and listen to it once the movie’s over.
If the movie comes first, it does make sense for that to be more memorable than any song written for it. If the song’s particularly popular, perhaps the song and film will be equally popular (likeTitanicand “My Heart Will Go On”). However, it’s sometimes the case that a song becomes more popular than the movie it was written for.Whether it’s because the song was hugely popular or the movie was sort of forgettable, the following songs all eclipsed the movies they were made for.
15"Conquest of Paradise" by Vangelis
‘1492: Conquest of Paradise’ (1992)
Vangeliswas a composer perhaps best known for his work on scores for films such asBlade RunnerandChariots of Fire, but he also worked on the somewhat forgottenRidley Scottfilm1492: Conquest of Paradise. It was released 500 years afterChristopher Columbustraveled to the Americas, and served to depict just what that voyage entailed and what happened once the destination in question was arrived at.
The film isn’t as well-known as the score, withone piece of music from that score – titled “Conquest of Paradise” – becoming something of a surprise hit, perhaps in a similar vein to the widely recognizableChariots of Firetheme. As a single, it peaked atnumber 1 in various territories across Europe, and as a piece of music, it’s also well-suited to be played at sporting events owing to how grandiose and inspiring it sounds.
Rent on Apple TV
14"Upside Down" by Jack Johnson
‘Curious George’ (2006)
Curious Georgeis one of many monkey movies, and was met with decent critical reception, but nonetheless failed to make much of an impact at the box office. Its soundtrack, however, became surprisingly popular for a movie that’s been largely forgotten, with that album – titledSing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George– reaching number 1 in numerous countries, including the U.S., where ittopped the Billboard 200 in early 2006.
“Upside Down,” byJack Johnson, is the most recognizable of the tracks from thisCurious Georgesoundtrack album, and,depending on where you lived, was potentially inescapable on mainstream radio for a while back in 2006. That’s almost 20 years ago now, so maybe “Upside Down” andCurious Georgefeel equally forgotten when viewed a certain way, but this song made more of an impact than the movie regardless.
13"Who Made Who" by AC/DC
‘Maximum Overdrive’ (1986)
Everyone knowsStephen Kingfor the vast number of novels he’s written (and for how many of those have been turned into movies), but he was also a one-time director, helmingMaximum Overdrive. This is high-concept stuff, even by King’s standards, with the basic premise here involving machines all over Earth becoming sentient and in turn deciding to eradicate human life.
It’s agoofy and intentionally B-grade blendof horror, science fiction, and dark comedy, and boasted a soundtrack album byAC/DC, which contained various previously released songs and a small number of new ones. Of those, “Who Made Who” was easily the biggest hit, andis now recognized as a staple song within AC/DC’s body of work, all the whileMaximum Overdrive, as a film, serves as more of a curiosity/footnotewithin Stephen King’s entire creative output.
Maximum Overdrive
12"The Happening" by The Supremes
‘The Happening’ (1967)
Not to be mixed up witha certain M. Night Shyamalan movie, 40 years earlier, anotherThe Happeninghappened, and it was a film that kind of just came and went. It was a comedic crime movie about a wealthy businessman being kidnapped and held for ransom, with various farcical events unfolding after, inevitably, nothing really goes to plan.
If anyone is going to remember 1967’sThe Happening, it’s probably going to be because of the catchy theme tune byThe Supremes.
If anyone is going to remember 1967’sThe Happening, it’s probably going to be because of the catchy theme tune byThe Supremes. It wasa number 1 hit in the U.S., alongside also being successful in various other territories,meaning it’s far more likely to show up in compilations and/or playlists for the music groupthanThe Happening, as a film, is going to be remembered as say anAnthony QuinnorFaye Dunawaymovie.
Buy on Amazon
11"These Days" by Powderfinger
‘Two Hands’ (1999)
This one is a little difficult to call a hit in the traditional sense, since it was popular upon release though feels largest now because of how it’s endured, but “These Days” byPowderfingeris one of the Australian band’s best-known songs, without a doubt. Admittedly, it’s also most well-known in Australia, being voted #21 in theTriple J Hottest 100 of All Timein 2009, but it was originally written for an Australian movie, so it all checks out.
That movie wasTwo Hands, a significant early Heath Ledger film that came out the same year as the more popular10 Things I Hate About You. Even in Australia,Two Handsis more than a little underrated and overlooked (it’s more dramatically so on a global scale),with “These Days” being considerably more recognizable, as far as a piece of Australian pop culture goes.
10"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams
‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ (1991)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thievesis far from the definitiveRobin Hoodmovie it might have been expected to be. It’s a live-action, big-budget take on the iconic character and his story, though doesn’t endure to this day as a classic, with perhapsAlan Rickman’s take on the Sheriff of Nottinghambeing its strongest element.
Also enduring beyond the film itself is the power ballad byBryan Adams, “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You.” It’s the kind of song that most have likely heard, and could be surprised to hear it was even written for a movie.It’s among thebest-selling singles of the 1990s, while the film itself can’t claim to be nearly as popular, at least not nowadays.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
9"Knockin' on Heaven’s Door" by Bob Dylan
‘Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid’ (1973)
Sam Peckinpahwas a groundbreaking director whose films have held up well, even if he didn’t have as much success in his time. His best-known films are likelyThe Wild Bunchand theSteve McQueenvehicle,The Getaway, leaving some of his other films, likePat Garrett and Billy the Kid, criminally underrated.
At leastBob Dylan’s song “Knockin' on Heaven’s Door” fared much better, ultimately becoming one of the folk/rock musician’s most iconic songs.He wrote it for the film, and also acted in it, in a supporting role. Everyone else was unfairly overlooked for their efforts in making this great western, but thankfully, the tide’s turned in the years since its release, and it’s now more widely recognized and appreciated.
Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid
8"New York, New York" (covered by Frank Sinatra)
‘New York, New York’ (1977)
An unusual filmwithin Martin Scorsese’s filmography,New York, New Yorkis a romance/musical that depicts the turbulent relationship between a saxophonist and a young singer in the years following the end of World War Two.
The song “New York, New York” was originally written for the film, and sung by its star,Liza Minnelli. However, just a few years after the film’s release, the title song was covered byFrank Sinatra, and immediately became one of the singer’s biggest hits.Many would likely be surprised to find out that Sinatra’s version was a cover; that’s how much more popular it became than the movie it originated from.
New York, New York
7"Can’t Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley
‘Blue Hawaii’ (1961)
When it comes toElvis Presley, it’s fair to say that many of his songs have endured more than most of his movies. While he had a prolific career as an actor, he’s still best known for his music, and that goes forBlue Hawaiiand the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” extra notably.
It’s an instantly recognizable classic love song that most have likely heard, or at least heard referenced/covered by other musicians. The number of people who’ve actually seenthe Elvis Presley movieit was written for (especially nowadays) is surely far lower.
Blue Hawaii
Watch on Kanopy
6"Cut to the Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen
‘Ballerina’ (2016)
Let’s face it: not many people have heard ofBallerina. It was an animated family movie that was also a Canadian and French co-production and centers on a young girl who’ll do whatever it takes to become a world-famous ballerina.
While the song “Cut to the Feeling” byCarly Rae Jepsenmight not have been the cultural juggernaut that “Call Me Maybe” was (even though it’s flat-out a better song), it’s still more well-known than the movie it was written for.It’s one of Jepsen’s best songs, and an amazing pop song that’s well-regarded in many music circles, even if it hasn’t achieved worldwide fame. Still, it’s certainly more well-known than the movieBallerina.
